The subject matter herein relates generally to connector assemblies.
Radio frequency (RF) connector assemblies have been used for numerous applications including military applications and automotive applications, such as global positioning systems (GPS), antennas, radios, mobile phones, multimedia devices, and the like. The connector assemblies are typically coaxial cable connectors that are provided at the end of coaxial cables.
In order to standardize various types of connector assemblies, particularly the interfaces for such connector assemblies, certain industry standards have been established. One of these standards is referred to as FAKRA, which is an abbreviation for the German term Fachnormenausschuss Kraftfahrzeugindustrie. FAKRA is the Automotive Standards Committee in the German Institute for Standardization, representing international standardization interests in the automotive field. The FAKRA standard provides a system, based on keying and color coding, for proper connector attachment. Specific jack keys can only be connected to like plug keyways in FAKRA connectors. Secure positioning and locking of connector housings is facilitated by way of a FAKRA-defined catch on the housing of a jack or first assembly and a cooperating latch on the housing of a plug or second assembly.
The connector assemblies typically include a housing with a mating interface for coupling to a mating connector. The housing holds a contact assembly that electrically connects to corresponding mating contacts of the mating connector. A cavity insert of the contact assembly is typically used to secure the contact assembly within the housing so the contact assembly does not become dislodged as the mating connector is mated or unmated from the housing. The cavity insert is an adapter that engages both an outer contact of the contact assembly and an interior portion of the housing. The cavity insert may allow the contact assembly to be compatible with various different housings.
Typically, the cavity insert is cylindrical and is loaded over the outer contact by sliding the cavity insert over an end of the outer contact. For example, the cavity insert may be loaded over a rear end of the outer contact which has a smaller diameter than a front end of the outer contact. However, sliding the cavity insert over an end of the outer contact may not be feasible or at least desirable in some connectors. For example, some known outer contacts are configured to electrically connect to relatively large cables at the rear end of the outer contact, so the rear end of the outer contact may be too large to be received within the cavity insert. Due to spacing restrictions within the housing, it may not be possible to enlarge the cavity insert in order to accommodate the large rear end of the outer contact. Furthermore, some known outer contacts are formed on carrier strips, and the contact assembly may be assembled while the outer contact remains on the carrier strip. Even if the rear end of the outer contact is small enough to be received within the cavity insert, the rear end may be secured to the carrier strip which blocks the ability of the cavity insert to be loaded over the rear end. A need remains for an electrical connector that is able to accommodate various outer contacts therein while adhering to the space restrictions within the housing and any applicable industry standard specifications.